Not that long ago we were joking that all that was missing for a 100% perfect surf session, were some parrots flying over our heads while we’re on the wave. Guess what? That phantasy became reality. Playa Pan Dulce fulfilled our dream. But let’s start from the beginning.

Our next destination starts out as somewhat of a stopgap. No one recommended us the town of Puerto Jiménez, nor is there any surf. So, why go there? It’s situated across from Pavones, on the other side of the Golfo Dulce. The only reason it is mentioned in guide books, is because it serves as the gateway to the Corcovado national park. But that’s not why we go there. Fact is, the only affordable accommodations closest to Playa Pan Dulce are here, almost 20 km from the beach itself. But we really want to go there, lots of surfers we met along the way recommended it to us.

When we get to Puerto Jiménez, we’re actually pleasantly surprised. The village is charming. We instantly like it! It’s small enough to walk everywhere and has everything we need: a decent supermarket, a great hostel and very few tourists.

Hier geht’s eher gemächlich zu und her

“Downtown” Puerto Jiménez

Unser Hostel

But as I said, the surf beach is not around the corner. We do find a shuttle, though, that can take us there at 6 AM the next day. After a 30 minute bus ride, we’re dropped off in the middle of the jungle – just the two of us and our surfboards. Well, not quite. We’re surrounded by all kinds of different monkeys that don’t seem to mind our presence. Pretty amazing! But nothing outdoes the view that awaits us when we get down to the beach! A deserted bay, bathed in a soft morning light, with the most perfect little waves and dozens of scarlet macaws flying by. I’m only describing this as elaborately, because we didn’t bring our camera to take pictures. This idyll is only tainted by one thing: Marcel read that there are quite frequent sightings of sharks in this bay. But there haven’t been any incidents, so we take a deep breath and go in anyways. And this is how I experience this most perfect moment: I catch a good wave, surf it for what feels like a small eternity all the way to the beach and when I paddle back out, I see these beautiful birds flying by. I will remember this day forever!

This picture was taken another day in town. But it might help you understand why we’re so fascinated by these birds.

On the downside: We do miss the only bus that would take us back to town. Why? We get out of the water in time, but get hung up watching the macaws up close eating almond seeds. Yeah, I know, we’re freaks! Luckily, we can hitchhike back. A 20 km walk home in the midday sun would almost certainly have ruined our day.

Another highlight follows a couple of days later. We spend some money on a whale-watching tour. We’re also hoping to see some dolphins. So far on this trip, they’ve always evaded us successfully. After two uneventful hours zig-zagging through the bay, we spot a female humpback whale with her calf.

No dolphins show up, though. So I store my camera as we cruise into the harbor. And there it happens: Suddenly, we’re in the middle of a school of dolphins! So, our stay on the peninsula of Osa ends just like it started: with lots of nature and even more animals.